


Enough

by Mereneith



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Co-Parenting a Pet, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Post-Episode: s07e01 A Little Adventure, Protective Keith (Voltron), S7 E1 spoilers, Walks On The Beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 03:59:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15549117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mereneith/pseuds/Mereneith
Summary: Keith, Shiro, and the Cosmic Wolf take some much-needed downtime when the rest of Team Voltron stops on an uninhabited planet to make some repairs. But after everything they've been through, even downtime can be hard for Shiro and Keith to handle.“Cold at all?” he asked Shiro.Maybe we should have brought warmer clothing.“No, Keith, I'm fine. I'm actually really glad to be out here in the rain with you and Wolf,” Shiro said, looking toward Keith with a smile far wider than it had any right to be, eyes shining with love. “You know, that healing pod got a little cramped after a while.” Even after everything he'd been through, Shiro was so still so open with him, Keith thought faintly...He looked towards towards Wolf instead, who had run a fair distance ahead of them and was now jumping around, barking at some small alien crabs in the short, high-pitched yips that Keith had learned signaled her strong excitement. Keith took the opportunity to change the conversation. “She's remembering the crabs from the space whale, I guess.”





	Enough

**Author's Note:**

> SPOILERS AHEAD! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! This is set soon after S7 E1, "A Little Adventure", and won't make total sense unless you've either seen the episode itself or read a summary of what happens. 
> 
> For the purposes of this fanfic, Shiro and Keith _finally_ had the long (long, LONG)-overdue conversation about what they REALLY mean to each other shortly after the end of S7 E1, and are now in a relationship and trying to figure out what that means from day-to-day. Given both of their mental health issues as well as the larger problems they're facing as Paladins of Voltron, this is more difficult that it might initially appear.
> 
> (Also for the purposes of this fanfic, the Cosmic Wolf is referred to as simply "Wolf" [because let's be real, neither Keith nor Krolia are the most imaginative people] and is female. In the event we get a canonical name and gender for the Cosmic Wolf, this fic will be updated as necessary.
> 
> Finally, I have deliberately used a mix of Altean and Human time measurements in this fic, just as the characters themselves do.)

    The team had decided to stop at a planet whose biome could best be described as “coastal temperate rainforest”. It didn't have a name, had no sapient life, but perhaps that was for the best. Less likely for any of the many splintered but still very dangerous factions of the Galra Empire to take an interest in the place. They could gather some organic and geological supplies, make some minor repairs, stretch their legs, and continue their long and difficult journey to Earth unimpeded. Shiro pointed out a good clearing near the shore of the planet's ocean where all the Lions could land, and less than ten doboshes later, everyone was standing outside the Lions in the misty gray air of the forested planet, discussing among themselves who would do which chore, repair, or other task.

     Even though two movements had passed since the battle with Lotor and Shiro's... recovery... it still felt strange to Keith not to be starting a team meeting in the lounge or on the bridge of the Castle of Lions. During his years in the quantum abyss, he'd dreamed so often of being back with Shiro and the rest of the team in those rooms, plotting their next move. But then again, Keith had never dreamed that Shiro would _actually_ feel the same way about him as he'd felt about Shiro since he was sixteen. _That_ fact still made him dizzy sometimes, his chest constricted, his fingers twitching. He pressed himself closer to Shiro's side, and Shiro's hand on his left shoulder tightened its grip in response.

     As the team at large fell into their separate, self-selected groups, Keith realized he hadn't offered to help with any of the tasks. “Hey Hunk!” he called. “Did you and Romelle need help with carrying those plants you're looking for? Or Coran, what did you say you were doing again?” Krolia and Allura traded looks from opposite sides of the group, although Keith couldn't make out what the silent conversation was saying. Allura, clearing her throat, started to respond in her most diplomatic voice. “Well, Keith, your and Shiro's presences really aren't precisely _required_ at this time...” 

Lance, already halfway out of the clearing on his own mission, suddenly jumped in as only he could: “Shoo, you two! Go walk on the beach! But Keith- don't let Shiro into the ocean, because what if there's some more mermaids here?! I bet those mermaids would be _all_ about a prize like him, am I right?!”. Pidge ran across the clearing over to Lance, stood on her tiptoes, and slapped her hands over Lance's mouth. Hunk barged over as well. “Whoa, man, that's just... the epitome of Too Soon. Come on. Shut up and let them go now, buddy. Come with us, your chore can wait.” Lance continued to make made muffled noises but Pidge's hands kept them from leaving Lance's mouth.

     Keith started to ask again who needed help when Romelle, abandoned by Pidge and Hunk, turned towards Coran. “What the quizak is going on?” she nearly shouted. “We need every pair of hands we can to get our tasks done as quickly as possible, and yet _they_ get to go for a walk on the beach?!”. Coran, tears welling up in his eyes, told her in a low tone to "go talk to Allura later, when they're gone. She'll explain. Those boys have been through so much, this is the least we can do for them." Keith felt his face start turning beet red. Shiro, that traitor, just laughed.

     Still laughing, Shiro tugged Keith's lower arm. "Come on, let's going. I know you and Wolf are more than a match for anything on this planet," Shiro said quietly into Keith's ear. Keith whistled for Wolf, who flashed into being beside them as they made their way down to the shoreline, Shiro's hand sliding down to encircle Keith's wrist. Keith countered, but less emphatically than he once would have: " _You're_ more than a match for anything on this planet, Shiro. We checked it from the moment we entered this solar system! You were with me in the cockpit when we all scanned everything- you _know_ there's only small fish and lizards and stuff like that here." 

Shiro just nodded. Keith figured he'd quit while he was ahead and turned to survey the planet around them. It was so great to be able to move around in an open, natural landscape. This planet wasn't at all like the desert he grew up in on earth, but right now, there was just the three of them, and the waves, wind, and trees. Keith let out a long breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

     Keith, Shiro, and Wolf continued to walk in comfortable silence along the beach. It had rocks, not sand. The rocks were smooth, not jagged rocks like he'd grown up with in the desert, which was good because otherwise Keith would have had to start worrying about Wolf cutting the pads of her paws, or Shiro's boots not being sturdy enough and his feet getting injured, or---. Keith took another deep breath, glancing at Shiro out of the corner of his eye. _Shiro will be fine_ , he told himself, in a refrain he'd had to repeat to himself too many times to count over the past few years of his life.

     Anyway, both pairs of their new boots were very sturdy. Keith had made sure of that himself, that first time they had stopped for supplies on Tet'thet'ximar. Keith made himself breathe some more, just like Shiro had taught him all those years ago. “In through the nose, hold it, one two three four, and exhale, one two three four five six seven”- even at his worst moments, after _pilot error_ , he'd run through that drill in his head, the Shiro in his memories making sure he could breathe even then. By focusing on the sensation of his breath, Keith came back into his body. He realized he could smell seaweed, and the scent from tall trees that came right up to nearly the shoreline reminded him a little of cedar. A light rain began to mist down, and the waves continued their endless back and forth.

     “Cold at all?” he asked Shiro. _Maybe we should have brought warmer clothing_. “No, Keith, I'm fine. I'm actually really glad to be out here in the rain with you and Wolf,” Shiro said, looking toward Keith with a smile far wider than it had any right to be, eyes shining with love. “You know, that healing pod got a little cramped after a while.” Even after everything he'd been through, Shiro was so still so open with him, Keith thought faintly. Shiro still managed to joke as though Keith hadn't thrown himself across that same pod's glass so recently, begging Shiro not to die. The sharpness of that memory made the start of a blush on Keith's cheeks retreat. His arms twitched, and his breath caught.

     He looked towards towards Wolf instead, who had run a fair distance ahead of them and was now jumping around, barking at some small alien crabs in the short, high-pitched yips that Keith had learned signaled her strong excitement. Keith took the opportunity to change the conversation. “She's remembering the crabs from the space whale, I guess." Acknowledging the shift in topic, Shiro took the opportunity to drape his arm around Keith's shoulders as he asked, “There's still so much you haven't told me about your and Krolia's time there, Keith. Did Wolf help the two of you hunt?” Keith started explain about how all three of them- Krolia, Wolf, and Keith- had had to learn to work together as a team to make sure there would be enough food.

     As Keith further explained their system of snares, ambush hunting, and using Wolf's superior nose to help find the best edible plants, Wolf continued to chase the crabs some more. Keith watched as few of the crabs skittered a retreat back into the ocean, weaving through several large piles of washed-up seaweed on the way to safety. Wolf, heedless of the slippery piles, barreled right through them into the surf, tail wagging, her yips deepening into more frustrated barks as the crabs she pursued got away. Turning around in the water, she appeared to catch the scent of some crabs who were still in the seaweed-strewn section of the beach. Bounding out of the waves, she poofed herself directly onto a particularly large patch of seaweed, picked up a crab in her massive jaws, crunched down, and began rolling around in the stinky green seaweed in satisfaction. Clearly, she considered her job done, her mission accomplished. Finishing his explanation, Keith refocused on Wolf's present antics and let out a small but definite peal of laughter.

     Shiro smiled for a moment as well. “She's so proud of herself! And it's clear to see how much Wolf has done for you- far more than just helping you and Krolia stay fed. But Keith... you know that she can't sleep in our bed like this, right? _Right_?” Keith agreed. “I don't know how we're going to get her clean, though. If we try to rinse her off in the ocean, that will just make her more salty. On the space whale, we had a creek we used just for bathing- she's used to that. I guess we should go back to the Lions, get some supplies, and find a creek on the the scanners.”

     As the light, misting rain started to ease up, Keith whistled for Wolf, who wriggled herself from out the seaweed pile and came running towards them with a crab claw still stuck between her teeth. With a long-suffering sigh, Keith took the claw out of her teeth and then the three of them were on their way back to the clearing where the Lions had landed. As they approached the camp's perimeter, Keith ducked out of Shiro's arm drape, pressing his forehead to Shiro's shoulder in a silent apology at Shiro's small sigh of dismay. If they really wanted to wash Wolf properly, it only made sense that Keith would need both his arms to carry all the towels which would be required. This had absolutely nothing to do with Keith feeling like he was tempting fate to steal Shiro back from him if he touched Shiro for too long. _Shiro will be fine_. _Shiro will be fine_. Yet again, Keith forced himself to focus on his breath. _Shiro will be fine_.

     As they entered the camp itself, Keith's eyes automatically flicked around, trying to get a fix on the locations of his teammates. The camp _seemed_ empty, but... With only a small rustle announcing her presence, Krolia appeared from behind one of the large cedar-like trees, sheathing her blade as she did so. “Why are you back so soon?” she asked, characteristically blunt. “Even Pidge and Hunk decided to take a break from the repairs. Go on, back to your walk!” Shiro stepped forward, leaving Keith's side, his arm outstretched. “Well, Krolia, we will in a second, but Wolf rolled in a bunch of seaweed and we're getting some supplies to bathe her. We don't want her in our...” Shiro stopped abruptly, his head dropping down and his cheeks becoming noticeably redder. “Uh... that its, the Black Lion's interior is going to get very smelly unless we bathe Wolf. So we're just here to pick up some towels and other supplies!”

     Keith didn't know whether to either facepalm himself or to melt. Shiro really did care so much about making a good impression of himself to Krolia, never mind that Keith already had told her everything she needed to know about Shiro by the end of their first year in the quantum abyss. Keith decided that a mix of both options would be the best course of action. He quickly flung a hand over his face, attempting to cover an answering blush on his own cheeks. There was no hiding from Krolia, though. Her mouth grew more relaxed and her eyes sparkled. “I see. You two have quite a job ahead of you getting Wolf clean enough to sleep with you again. Don't let me keep you from it.” And with that, she abruptly turned back to her unofficial guard station.

     While finding the nearest good creek for washing Wolf was easy with the sophisticated mapping programs the Black Lion had, finding enough towels, buckets, and a bottle of liquid soap proved more of a challenge. Keith and Shiro found those all eventually, but still weren't able to find a hard-bristled brush. In the end, they'd had to call Hunk, explain the situation and ask him if their store of supplies even contained such a brush. Thankfully, Hunk was a genius and had traded for a whole set of various kind of brushes at the last planet they'd stopped at. “I figured since now we have so many more people with longer hair on the team, a set of brushes would be useful to have,” he told them in a slightly smug voice, over snippets of what appeared to be some kind of very loud but very good-natured snark-off between Romelle and Pidge. “I'll open a door to Yellow's cargo bay remotely and you two can be on your way.”

     Thanking Hunk profusely, they got the brush, rounded up Wolf, and headed towards the creek. As they walked under the incredibly tall trees, the misting rain stopped entirely. The sun began to peek out from behind the clouds. The walk to the creek took Keith and Shiro through slightly more challenging terrain than their beach walk. The ground started sloping upwards, there were fewer trees and more dense patches of waist-high plants that looked like some kind of cross between ferns and mushrooms. Wolf sniffed these intently, but Keith's attention, rarely left Shiro for more that a moment at a time. His eyes grew narrower as he searched for the telltale signs that Shiro was tired but covering it up. Keith's own muscles and skin and bones still weren't entirely healed- he could feel the ache in his own left calf every time they had to clamber over a fallen tree. Just as he was about to demand that Shiro tell him where it hurt and insist that they needed to rest, the creek appeared.

     It really was an ideal creek for their task. The water streamed by, quickly flowing but not fast enough to create a dangerous current. It came up to waist-height on Keith, sparkling in the sun, clear enough so that the sandy creekbed could be seen even from a few feet away. As Shiro started unpacking the supplies, Keith crouched down a bit until his face was even with Wolf's. He scratched her ears while explaining what situation. Call Keith crazy, but Wolf always seemed to be able to understand what she needed to do if Keith explained things to her in advance like this.

     “Okay, girl, you heard what Shiro said earlier. He doesn't want us to sleep with him in the bed until you get all washed. Humans have _really_ strict ideas about what smells good. They're not as flexible as Galra are. So we're gonna wash you and then tonight we can all sleep happy. Be a good girl, please. For Shiro. He's already tired, I don't want him to have to wrestle you.” Unexpectedly, a big hand reached out and started scratching the underside of Wolf's jaw. “But I know you'll be the very best girl, Wolf. Don't let your dad worry himself over nothing”, said Shiro.

     Keith stood up from his crouch and headed toward the creek, whistling for Wolf with a smile creeping over his face. Just as Shiro had predicted, Wolf bravely tolerated being dunked with creek water from buckets, her thick fur being rubbed with the liquid soap, only wriggling a bit when the tangles in her coat were being teased out with the brush. But as good a Wolf as she was, she was still a massive animal, and getting her clean took quite a while and a fair amount of physical exertion.

     As they gave Wolf one last rinse and started to towel her off, Keith noticed a distinct sheen of sweat standing out from the drops of water on Shiro's arms. Eyes flicking upward, he saw how much harder Shiro was breathing. His face still held a smile, but his eyes had begun to glaze over a bit. Immediately, Keith dropped his towel, leaned across Wolf, and cupped Shiro's left shoulder. “We're both sweaty and tired. We should wash ourselves up and then rest.” Shiro's face wrinkled a bit- he clearly wanted to protest, but Keith held his gaze and kept his shoulder in a firm grip. Shiro conceded, dropping his own towel. Keith quickly laid out the towels and quietly asked Wolf to either stay put on them or go back to Krolia. Wolf huffed, but then curled up on the towels, put her tail over her nose, and appeared to doze off.

     By the time Keith had gotten Wolf sorted out and turned back to Shiro, Shiro had already taken off all his clothes and was sitting in the creek, submerged to the waist. His eyes were closed. Keith barely managed to shed his own clothes without ripping them. Grabbing the bottle of liquid soap, Keith quickly made his way to Shiro, asking, “Are you still awake?”

     “... mm. Yeah.” Keith could see Shiro blinking himself back into fuller awareness as Keith sat down in the water as well. Keith's hands twisted tight around the soap bottle. There was so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to say. Who knew when he and Shiro would have time like this again, and Keith had wasted so much time, so much of the energy Shiro needed to recuperate, on something as trivial as washing Wolf!

     Keith let out a small noise of frustration and gripped the soap bottle so hard the cap popped off. Shiro caught the cap automatically and leaned towards Keith. He draped his arm over Keith's tense shoulders to click the cap back on. “Hey, it's all right. Really- it is.” Keith could feel Shiro's warmth and the rumble of Shiro's voice in his own chest. All Keith could manage in reply was, “I've made you tired. We should wash up and get back quickly.”

     “No, baby, I like being out here. Pass me the bottle.” With conscious effort, Keith untwisted his hands from the bottle and gave it to Shiro. While Shiro was placing the bottle on the creek bank, Keith impulsively writhed out of Shiro's side-hug and wedged himself between Shiro's back and the creek bank, effectively holding Shiro in his lap. Suddenly, Keith felt like he could breathe again, the constant worry quieting enough so that the tension in his temples and chest finally started to drain out. Interlacing his left hand's fingers with Shiro's, his right arm crossing Shiro's chest, his hand splayed out over Shiro's pecs.

     Shiro sighed and slowly leaned back into Keith, resting his head on Keith's shoulder. Without directly looking up into Keith's face, he said quietly, “I know we already talked about this, and I know it's not easy for you. Keith, you don't have to say it again- but I love you so much, baby. More than anything. And every day that I'm still alive, I know that it's because you love me.” Keith swallowed hard, pressing his mouth down nearer to Shiro's ear. Lips barely moving, he whispered, “Takashi... I love you too.”

     They stayed like that for a long time, silent and naked in the water together as the faint scent of cedar filled the air and Wolf dozed in the sun. Finally, Shiro picked his head up off of Keith's shoulder. “Keith, how am I supposed to wash you like this?” he said. Keith grinned. “Give me the bottle back, Shiro. I want to wash _you_. Unless you want to wrestle for it?” Shiro's loud, laughing response was enough to rouse Wolf from her nap, and she trotted over to investigate. But it was also Shiro who managed to convince her to go back to her towels with the promise that they would join her soon.

     “I guess we have a time limit now,” said Shiro. “Let's make the best of it.” They stood up and began to lather each other, quickly but gently rubbing the soap over every limb and crevice, sitting back down, this time face-to-face, to rinse off and and start on each other's hair. Shiro leaned forward, seemingly intent on making sure the tangles in Keith's newly longer hair were coming undone. Suddenly, Shiro's face was very close to Keith's. And for once, the endless refrain of _Shiro will be fine_ in Keith's head went completely silent, because right at that moment, he and Shiro were kissing. Right at that moment, Shiro was safe and alive, breathing his same air. They were in each others' arms, and that was enough.

EPILOGUE 

     Shiro jerked awake, the fire and quintessence and explosions from his nightmare still more real to him than anything else. His stump ached, and again and again he saw the memory of Keith's beautiful face contorted in pain and panic, blistering and burning from the heat of the bayard he'd been trying to cut Keith's head off with. Haggar's will had been his will. The other part of him, trapped in the Black Lion's consciousness, hadn't been able to save Keith until it was almost too late. _Both parts of me are responsible for this_ , Shiro thought. _I am responsible for his pain_. His heart beat so fast that Shiro wondered why Keith, who he belatedly realized was currently sleeping on top of his chest, did not wake up.

    Struggling to regain control of his breathing, for Keith's sake if nothing else, Shiro twisted his head around. Where were they? Was this safe? How were they sleeping outside? Shiro couldn't remember-- and then a huge, soft, muzzle with a wet nose pushed itself into the side of Shiro's face. “Hi, girl” Shiro croaked, his throat tight with unshrieked wails and unshed tears. Wolf snuffled a greeting into Shiro's ear, and began to lick the shaved part of his undercut. Shiro began to remember what had occurred in the past few vargas, not the past few movements, or even the past few years. All three of them had lain out on the last few remaining clean towels to dry more in the sun, suddenly very tired from all the physical and emotional exertion of the day and had succumbed to the powerful urge to take a mid-afternoon nap.

     Wolf , who finally smelled completely dry and clean, was curled around them both, with her head closer to Shiro than to Keith. Keith continued to sleep face-down on Shiro's chest. Shiro really did start crying when he realized that one of Keith's hands was on his shoulder. So many times when in captivity, sleeping in a filthy Galra cell between arena fights, he had pretended he felt Keith's hand on his shoulder as he drifted off to sleep, hating himself for even imagining Keith in such a dark and hopeless place millions of miles from Earth and the bright future that awaited him. _But now we're both millions of miles away from the futures we had planned_ , he reminded himself.

    Shiro deliberately exhaled, smelling the forest around him. He held Keith closer to him with his one arm and started on the most basic breath routine he knew, the one he had taught Keith himself many years ago now. Breathe in, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four, five, six, seven. As the cycles of breath continued and with Wolf still licking his head, the intensity of his nightmare-memories gently dialed themselves down. He pressed his nose to Keith's hair. He'd wanted to bury his face in Keith's hair ever since Keith had rescued him from the pack of snarling lizards on the planet they had crash-landed on after their first major confrontation with Zarkon. And what did it say about their lives, about his ability to protect Keith, that such a thought made logical sense? Shiro buried his nose deeper into Keith's hair. He didn't have to look at the scar on Keith's face that way, and be ashamed.

     He'd finally found his way to a tiny sliver of peace when Keith started whimpering, his arms twitching in a nightmare of his own. And though Shiro wished with all his heart he could keep holding Keith like the way he currently was, Shiro thought about what had happened earlier in the creek and realized exactly what he needed to do. He carefully turned towards Wolf and whispered, “Hey girl, I need to help your dad. Can you let me go and also make sure he stays asleep? You have so many amazing talents, I feel like you can make sure he stays asleep, right?”

     Wolf stopped licking Shiro's head and uncurled herself from around them both. Shiro shivered a bit; he and Keith had both put their underwear on before laying out to dry with Wolf, but they hadn't put anything else on, and being away from Wolf's fluffy warmth chilled him. Shiro carefully got up while gently easing Keith's head off his chest. He moved around to the other side of the blanket and arranged himself on his side in front of Keith, reaching back to drape Keith's arm over his own chest. Almost instantly, Keith's breathing eased and the twitching in his arms stopped as he tightly gripped Shiro to him. Anything was worth that eased breath, Shiro thought sleepily. Anything at all.

As Shiro started to fall back asleep again, Wolf came back to Shiro and Keith's side of the towels. Snuffling happily, she laid her body diagonally over them both, with her head resting by Shiro's chest. Shiro's fingers found themselves tangled in Wolf's ruff, petting her absently as he felt Keith's breath by his ear. There was so much Shiro did not know about the future, so many ways he had failed to protect Keith and the team. So many things that could still go wrong. But for now, for right at that moment, Keith was safe and alive, breathing his same air. They were in each others' arms, and that was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I have been in online fandom since 1999, and this is my first officially published piece of fanfic. I've always been far on the sidelines in my fandoms, sometimes writing a little meta here and there, discussing things in comms when comms still existed, writing reviews of official merch, and so on. But I've never felt confident enough to publish (in namespace) any fanfic I ever wrote. Until now.
> 
> Almost exactly a month and half ago, I watched Voltron: Legendary Defender for the first time. I've never fallen so fast and so hard for an OTP in my whole entire life. I love Shiro and Keith as deeply and strongly as it is possible for a nerdy lesbian to love a cartoon gay space robot pilot and his half-alien knife-figher boyfriend. This fic is a love letter to them and for them, especially because regardless of what does or does not change in their canonical status in S7, they won't get the chance to just spend a little bit of quiet time together, which they so desperately need. 
> 
> Special thanks to tumblr user [**@ joltron**](https://joltron.tumblr.com/), who declared last Wednesday to be Soft Sheith Day and encouraged everybody to manifest more soft Sheith into the world. (For those who weren't there this was after the entire Sheith fandom had spent five days in a row winding ourselves up to the point of unfunny anxiety about the implications of everything that happened at SDCC 2018). I really took inspiration from what she said, and thus this angst-filled fluff-fest came to be! 
> 
> If you've read this far: thanks so much for reading my fic, and please feel free to come scream with me on Tumblr about how absurdly in love Shiro and Keith are. <3 My tumblr name is [**@ mereneith**](https://mereneith.tumblr.com/), just like here!


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